This asana gets its name from the Sanskrit words ‘bala’ (बाल) that means child and ‘asana’ (आसन) that means pose. This asana resembles the fetal position. It is a resting pose that focuses on the thighs and also helps alleviate back pains. If this asana is performed with a full gravitational pull, one can notice a great sense of mental, physical, and emotional solace.

What You Should Know Before You Do This Asana

Like any other yoga asana, this one too must be performed at least four to six hours after a meal. Your bowels and stomach must be empty when you practice this position. Being a resting pose, it can be practiced whenever you need to catch your breath or relax, either in the midst of your workout or afterwards.

How To Do Balasana (Child Pose)

Kneel down on the floor and touch your big toes to each other as you sit on your heels. Once you are comfortable, spread your knees hip-width apart. Inhale.

Bend forward, and lay your torso between your thighs as you exhale.

Now, broaden the sacrum all across the back of the pelvis, and narrow the points of your hip such that they point towards the navel. Settle down on the inner thighs.

Stretch the tailbone away from the back of the pelvis as you lift the base of your head slightly away from the back of the neck.

Stretch your arms forward and place them in front of you, such that they are in line with your knees. Release the fronts of your shoulder to the floor. You must feel the weight of the front shoulders pulling the blades widely across your back.

Since this asana is a resting pose, you can stay in the pose from anywhere between 30 seconds to a few minutes.

To release the asana, first stretch the front torso. Then, breathe in and lift from the tailbone while it pushes down into the pelvis.

The Science Behind The Child Pose

The Balasana is a restorative, calming pose that relaxes and rejuvenates the body. The stretch in the back relaxes the spinal column. It calms the muscles, thereby helping to alleviate pain, especially in back, neck, and shoulders. The knees are also stretched and relaxed, and therefore, the tendons, muscles, as well as joints are healed and made ready for functioning. The pose resembles a fetal position and is said to provide physical, mental, and emotional solace to the being.

This pose truly promotes positive feelings, transporting you back to your childhood days and stripping you off ill feelings and arrogance.